Auto tail-light.



W. A. REICH.

AUTO TAIL UGHT.

APPLICATION FILED AUGJI. 19!]- L27 ,OO3, Patented Sept. 17, 1918.

ATTORNEY "onrrnn STATES PATENT orrion.

VWILLIAMVA. BEICI-I; or E$THERVILLE, IOWA. 7

euro TAIL-LIGHT.

'To-all whom it may concern V Be it known that I, WILLIAM ApIiEICH, a citizen of the United States, residing at VEstherville, in the county of Emmet and State of Iowa, have in vented certain' new and useful Improvements in .Auto Tail- Lights, of which the following is aspecification. V i v This invention relates to a combination license tagholder and tail lamp' for automobiles,rand it is a purpose ofmyinvention to provide a structure of this character which can be used by day to display an ordinarylicense tag, and which has 'the parts thereof so arranged that by slight readjustmentof parts a tail lampis provided which gives-the required red warning light on the rear of the machine, andat the same time shows an illuminated number corresponding to the number of the license tag. H

A further object lies in so constructing the parts that a license tag, as well as the number to be illuminated, can be readily fitted in the proper position for use, and can ,be' as easily removedand replaced by other numbers and tags. V V V 7 Yet another object is to provide structure in which a neat and attract ve appearing V holder and light is provided, and with which ithe showing of Fig. l. h

the setting to .show the license tag or to show the illuminated numbers Willbe positively maintained;

With the above and other objects in view,

V-which will berin'part described and in part V 35' understood from the specification, drawing, and claims, my invention consists in certain novelffeatures of construction and combination of parts which will be hereinafter more fully set forth; i i

In the drawings Figure 1' is a view in elevation of the device of my invention showing the parts adjusted to the position which they would oc- 'cupy when used as a tail light;

Fig. 2 is a view in end elevation of the disclosure of Fig. 1'; V r V Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken on the line 3+3 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 4' is a'vie'w in elevation of the case taken substantially at the'opposite side from V The main case ofthedevice is made of such form that in cross section it takes sub.- stantially theshape ofvan equilateraltriangle, thesides 1 and 2 being made solid and having the end ,3. connected therewith, and the end 4 being made separate from the main Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept, 17,1918, Applicationfiled Aug'ust 17, 1917. seriaina sems. J r V body portionto be removably fitted thereon and held in place by the use of bolts or screws 5, The forward edges of the sides 1 and Q'of the body portion are turned downto providezflanges 6 and 7 which form substantially slides at theforward side of the casing and at top and bottom of asight 7 opening provided on the remaining side of the triangular body. Bearing-trunnions 8V and 9' are provided on the ends 3 and lof the body, and the trunnion 9 preferably has a body portion 10 which is shaped to present substantially a triangular form, as is better shownin Fig. 2. V :7 V 7 e Brackets 11 and 12 areprovided with the bearings 13 and 14, and the casing is mounted with the trunnions 8 and 9 thereof fitted to these bearings 13 and 14:, so that as the brackets 1.1 and 12 are mounted upon an automobile or other vehicle, the casing will beheld spaced from the Vbody or other portion'to which attachment is made.

against'the sides of the triangular body 7-10 V of the trunnion 9, substantially after the manner shown in Fig. 2, so that as the casing is turned to different adjustments, it will be 7 always retained in such a relation that one of the flat side's thereof is presented outwardly. Also, when the casing is adjusted the retainin s ring 15 will act to holdthe same against casual or accidental readjustment.

The side 1 of the casing,'is made flat on its outer face to receive a license number,

tag or plate 16, and screws orbolts 17 are" provided to retain the same in a seated position. The vside 2 of the casing has electric base sockets will be within the casing and so disposed that theilight rays therefrom will A'spring' .15 is carried by the bracket member l2,'in

base sockets 17 and 18 mounted therein, and

electric lamp bulbs '19 when mounted in these shine through the openings between the flanges or bent in edges 6 and 7. As has been stated, it is one of the purposes of my invention to provide a tail lamp which will not only show the warning light, but will show an illuminated number, and with this purpose in view I provide a cut-out stencil 20 which is of such size that it will fit within the opening of the casing and will beheld in place by being received in the guide ways back of theflanges or edges 6 and 7, a sheet of red celluloid, or other suitable transparent material being mounted on the inner side of the stencil member 20, substantially as shown at 21. Agla-ss, or other transparent member, 22'is mounted on the forward side of the stencilmember and as these various portions 20,21, and 22, are fitted to be held against inward displacement by bearing against the forwardedges of the walls 1 and 2, and against outward displacement by the edges 6 and 7 of these walls, the fitting of the end member 4 in place will mount the several members'to beheld withinthe opening of the casing and to be retained against displacement or shifting. Asthe stencil memberhasthe numbers cut out therefrom and the colored sheet of material is placed entirely over the stencil, thelight east through the stencil openings from the lamps 19 will show red. Suitable circuit connections will be made in the wires 23 ofthe base sockets l7 and 18, and electric current for the lamps 19 will be supplied and controlled in any desired way. 7

In the use of the device, the supporting bracket members 11 and.12 will be fitted upon the body or upon other portions oft-he vehicle, at the rear,:an,d after the case has been mounted in place the circuit connections are established. WVhen the case is swung to such. aaposition thatthe license tag 16 thereof shows from the rear, the spring 15 will bearagainst the body 10 of the trunnion 9, and in consequence the casing will be held. against turning in either direction: to become displaced from this setting. This display'of thelicense tag will be proper for daylight operation. of the machine, and in 'f-acta' standard license tag such as is issued by States, and other licensing bodies, can be used,in this way making it possible to dis play the standard and authorized license tag. The stencil member 20 will be cut to show thesame numbers aslare'contained on the-licensetag or plate, and in night operation of-the machine,.the casing willbe shift- GdrSOthfll] the side having the glass22 fitted thereto will beprcsented rearwardly, and

then. when the current is switchedon to the lights 19, the rays fromfithe light willybe passed, through the sheet '21. and consequenrly will show. red through the cut out of the stencil member 20. In this way, not

only will a lawful display of the red tail light be accomplished but an illuminated number will be shown, and the license number of the vehicle will thus be more readily discernible. V 7

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a combination license display and tail lamp which is of such character that it will conform in all respects to varied laws of different localities, which will make driving more safe by positively identifying danger signals as being upon vehicles and distinguishing the same from red lanterns placed at excavations and the like; and, which-will at the same time makeit possible to readily, and with facility, discern and make out theli'censenumbersof a vehicle.

While in the'foregoing 1 have shown and described only oneexact construction'of the parts and have set forth'but' one manner of assembling the same, it will be apparent that changes and variations might be resorted to, in view of whichfact I wish to'be limited only to such points as may beset forth'in the claims; l

1.. A combined license display and'tail casing'having bearing'trunnions-at the ends thereof,'be'aringbrackets. in which said casing is mounted to be capable of revoluble movement and saidbearingbrackets adapted to be mounted upon the rear of the vehicle, one ofthe sides of" the casing being formed to receive a standard license tag and one-of the'remaining sides having an opening therelamp including a substantially triangular through, lamps mounted within the casing license display and tails thereof,,bearing brackets in which said casing is mounted to be capable of revoluble movement and said bearing brackets adapted to bemounted upon the rear of the vehicle, one of the'sides of the casing being formed to receive a standard license tagiandz one of the remaining sides having an opening 7 therethrough, lamps mounted within the casing upon the remaining side, astencil member having numbers indicated thereby corresponding to the numbers of the license tag and. which stencil member is received within; the'op'en side of thecasing, aicovering for the stencil member, a coloredtransparent sheet placed over the stencil memher to color the lightas shown therethrough, In testimony WhelGOfI aflix my signatui'e V a substantially triangular body portion in presence of two Witnesses.

formed in conjunction with one of the trunnions, and a spring carried by the adjacent V V bracket member to bear against the sides of Witnesses:

the body portion thus formed and to retain BEN SAMPSON,

the casing in adjusted position. 7 OTTO KLEIN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). O.

'WILLIAM A. REICH. 

